I’ve also made some amazing friends at TRIP. I guess you could say that spending four hours together EVERY SATURDAY has brought us pretty close. I mentioned in my last blog that I was very excited to meet like-minded people and I think it’s safe to say that that goal has been achieved. Though I’m spending four hours of my Saturdays to work with fruit flies and learn about science (something a normal person wouldn’t necessarily consider relaxing during the weekend), it doesn’t even feel like I’m working because of all of the laughs I share with my classmates and our instructors, Dr. Purdy and Dr. Gardiner. Ugh, cheesy I know. On a lighter note, Dr. Purdy introduced me to an axolotl a few weeks ago and I have to say, that’s the coolest thing I did in February.
Overall, I’m really loving the program and I wouldn’t trade my time on Saturdays for anything else. See y’all in the next blog. Stay nerdy :)
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So far, this experience has been exciting, interesting, and overall a great time. I have met so many new high-schoolers with similar interests as mine, and can’t wait to continue to bond with them over fruit flies. ~ Anjali Kejariwal
I can’t wait to answer this question in the coming weeks and learn even more about fruit flies! I’ll check back with you soon!
After learning about one another through a get-to-know-you exercise, I learned the basics of micropipetting and gained some practice working with the chemical balance which is far more precise than any other balance I have ever used. For my initial project, I will be working with St. John’s Wort, an antidepressant, and the stressor will be head trauma. As someone who has lived through a lot of concussions, I am very curious as to how flies with the medicine and stressor will respond in the locomotion assay as well as how head trauma will even be inflicted on the flies. As for now, I am incredibly excited to embark further on this adventure with my TRIP teammates and cannot wait for another great session!
 My name is Xose Venus Agbadan (most people call me Venus), and I am a junior at Cheltenham High School in Montgomery County (Go Panthers!). I was born in Togo in West Africa and lived in Ghana until I was 3, and then I moved to the U.S. At school, I play the violin in my Chamber Orchestra, sing in my school's Select Choir, and I am also a theater kid! I have done every production my school has put on since 7th grade and was recently Beatrice in our production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.
Outside of school I like to bullet journal, read, listen to music, and geek out over one of my many obsessions. I am a fan of organization in general and although my bullet journal calligraphy and doodles are not amazing, having a bullet journal makes me feel as though I have my life slightly together haha. I don't have a favorite book, but my favorite author is Rainbow Rowell. If you're ever looking for good clearance deals, Target will surprise you. In terms of music, I listen to everything from Bach to 21 Savage to Cuco to Dear Evan Hansen. Some of my obsession include Timothee Chalamet (I LOVEEE HIM), scrolling through Pinterest, and watching guilty pleasure shows (i.e. The Bachelor franchise and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series).
 Something that you may not know about me is that I am also very passionate about music. I have been playing piano since the age of four and have had numerous opportunities to perform at various renowned locations, including Carnegie Hall. I also play the clarinet, and was fortunate enough to qualify for the district, regional, and state level division conference this year. Music is something that has had such a profound impact on my life. Some of my other hobbies include landscape photography and reading (I love a good book!) At school, I participate in various activities, including my school’s marching band, the boys’ tennis team, and the student council.  Growing up, I’ve always had a keen interest in the STEM field, inspired both from reading books to external influences from my best friend. In the future, I would like to work in the field of neurology and possibly obtain a Ph.D. Being a part of TRIP is the perfect opportunity for me to not only expand my scope of knowledge in the scientific research field, but to challenge myself on a greater personal level as well and to grow as a person. There are many aspects of TRIP that requires the usage of skills that do not necessarily pertain to STEM at all, some of which include cooperation and leadership. Though it is only week two of the program, I am already feeling at home. I love the kindness and respect everyone has towards each other, and our willingness to help each other succeed. I also know that throughout this program, I will face numerous challenges that I will have to work to overcome. I am beyond excited to see where this program brings me and am even more excited to share the rest of my journey with you all!
Outside of the classroom, I love to play Ice hockey. I play for the Wissahickon Warriors 18U team, a summer tournament team, and my high school (even though I took a brief hiatus from that this season). I also like to play the bass guitar, travel, listen to music, watch movies, and read.
That’s all for now, signing out!  Hello! My name is Cindy Tran and I am currently a senior attending Central High School. I was born and raised in Philly. Although I live in the Northeast, I’ve gone to school in the city since 5th grade, so over the years I’ve explored and familiarized myself with the city. My favorite spots are either Gira Green or the Rail Park! I learned about these green spaces over the summer through my Environmental Science professor. I ended up writing and op-ed on the positive effects of green spaces in large, dense cities like Philly and have been intrigued by green spaces ever since.
 Some fun facts about me are that I'm extremely clumsy and trip over my own feet more often than I'd like, but ironically the only sport I actively participate in is figure skating. I also love to volunteer, especially at community events like marathons (which I've kept my Saturday mornings free for). A big part of my life is the college access program I am part of, called Philadelphia Futures, aimed towards helping low-income, first generation to college students (this program honestly changed my life.)  I love to try new things, so I have a lot of interests! I’m passionate about all types of art, ranging from visual arts (painting, sketching) to crafts (crocheting, knitting), woodwork, sculpture, and even video editing. Because I have so many interests, I attempted to narrow down the things I like to prepare for my future career by trying out clubs and different activities, knocking out the ones I didn’t like. I was in a club focused on studio production, learned about history with the National parks Service, joined a Law and Justice club, and Girls Who Code. This plan backfired as I enjoyed all these activities, and have found myself stuck on what I should do next. My journey of discovering what my future may be is also one of the reasons I decided to join TRIP. I work best with hands-on learning, and I want to continue growing in the field of STEM. This year, I wasn't able to fit a science class into my schedule but I still wanted a set time that I could dedicate to improving my science skills. Truthfully, I always struggled trying to understand concepts in my previous science classes, but when these concepts were actually applied (in lab experiments) they made much more sense in my brain. Two weeks of TRIP have already passed, and I hate to admit that I’ve spent too much of that time looking at larvae munch away. I’m excited to continue on this journey!
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